a living picture
On a visit to the Passages Interactive Bible Exhibit, I was reminded of the beauty and scholarship of Scripture. Accustomed to the modern-day, gold-filigree edging, I was impressed with one particular exhibit that showcased fore-edged printing—beautiful pictures, some representing events from Scripture and others with countryside scenes—that graced the outer edges of the Bibles. Interestingly, the pictures become visible when the Bible cover is first opened and the pages softly rest against one another, as if in a state of readiness to be turned.
pandora?
Pandora is one of the musical marvels of the Internet age. It’s an algorithm-based website that allows you to listen to any musical artists, bands, and songs that you like. By each song, you can click a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” sign. When you click the “thumbs up” sign, it plays more music like what you just heard. If you click the “thumbs down” sign, Pandora will take that song out of rotation or skip that song and bring up a different song for you to judge.
why the Bible matters
In his article Does the Bible Matter in the 21st Century? author Vishal Mangalwadi lifts up the inestimable worth of God’s Word. He also notes that bad things happen when a country chooses to ignore the Bible’s wisdom. He writes, “[The US] was built by an ethic—a spirituality that taught citizens to work, earn, save, invest, and use their wealth to serve their neighbors. This biblical ethic has been replaced by secularism’s entitlement culture that teaches people that they have a right to this, that, and the other without corresponding obligations to work, save, and serve.”
recalculating relationships
A comedian once mused that he wished someone would make a GPS for husbands. He said something like this: GPS: “Compliment your wife’s appearance.” Comedian: “Hey, honey, you look really good.” GPS: “Ask her about her day.” Comedian: “How was your day, sweetheart?” GPS: “Pretend to be listening.” Comedian: “Oh . . . Really . . .” GPS: “Flatter your wife.” Comedian: “Um . . . Hey, you’re gonna look really good once you put all your make-up on.” GPS: “Recalculating.”
true value
Johannes Gutenberg had an idea that would change the world, but he needed money to finance it. He contacted his neighbor, Johann Fust, who loaned him the cash to build his first printing press. Gutenberg initially made his loan payments by printing indulgences for the Catholic Church. The job paid well, but Gutenberg had higher hopes for his new machine. He wanted to print Bibles—magnificent books with Gothic letters that resembled a scribe’s meticulous style. But his 1,200-page Bibles took too long to produce and sell, and in 3 years he was bankrupt. Gutenberg handed his press over to Fust, who used it to publish a wide variety of books throughout Germany and France.
not fooled
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” —Mark Twain
January 7, 2013
Why is it vital that we study all of God’s story—all of the Bible?
eutychus’ example
I must admit I was having a hard time staying awake. The guest speaker had been monotonously droning on for 45 minutes. According to the outline provided, he wasn’t even halfway through the sermon! “It isn’t my fault if I fall asleep,” I whispered to my wife. “Don’t be a Eutychus!” she replied, even as she poked me with her pen to keep me awake.
voice and verse
Occasionally, my mother’s voice invades my day—from inside my head. I can still hear her say, “Try not to borrow trouble from tomorrow,” and even “Remember to take a jacket.” Sometimes her tone and words come skidding out of my mouth when I’m disciplining my kids! At other times—thankfully—Bible verses occur to me as she would say them. She could (and still can) recite Scripture with as much certainty as I can say my name and address.
a magnificent book
I’m a fan of the television show Once Upon a Time. It’s cleverly put together and well-acted. But what I find most compelling is the way it parallels the biblical narrative.
time in a bottle
Last year, Daniil Korotkikh, a 13-year-old Russian boy, was beachcombing on the Curonian Spit when he stumbled upon an old bottle poking out of the sand. He picked it up, uncorked it, and discovered a letter written 24 years earlier. Frank, a German boy on a ship to Denmark with his family, had written a letter including his address for…
the stories we tell
I’m often disappointed with kids’ Bible story books. They usually paint a sugary picture that presents the Bible as a very safe and manageable book. Often, you get a collection of pithy moralisms that you could get just as well (better, perhaps) from Aesop’s Fables.
With this posture, the Bible’s truths have lost their scandal; they don’t require a cross or…
is it worth it?
I braced myself almost unconsciously as my husband Bill solemnly lumbered through the front door. Wives, after a few years of marriage, know the feeling. The loving, empathetic side wants to help—even embrace—as the streetwise sense whispers, "Leave well enough alone."
It was a beautiful fall afternoon, not unlike others in the life of public high school teachers in my…
the Word of God
A person’s words are inseparable from the person speaking them. Think about your own words. They come from you and are uniquely yours. Your words communicate your heart. They come from your inner self—your soul—and express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, and character. Your words are spoken with your voice. They are sounded with your own unique mix of accent, pitch,…
what to do?
I used to struggle big-time with making decisions. When confronted with options I seldom experienced confidence that I would make the right decision. One winter, I flew to Colorado to visit some dear friends who owned a ski resort. Rather than take advantage of free skiing, however, I opted to spend my days by the fireplace in their cozy home,…
